When technological platforms shift, opportunities for disruption emerge. Few people understand this principle better than John McEleney, who has twice been at the center of CAD industry revolutions – first as SolidWorks CEO during the 2D-to-3D transition, and later as Onshape co-founder when cloud computing transformed design collaboration.

In this wide-ranging conversation, McEleney takes us back to the mid-1990s when he created the famous "plume chart" that visualized how 3D CAD would expand from specialized applications into the mainstream market. He reveals SolidWorks' strategic genius: rather than targeting committed Pro/ENGINEER users or complete CAD novices, they focused on the sweet spot – companies with "two seats of 3D knowledge and eight seats of 2D." This approach minimized both the resistance of entrenched users and the educational burden of complete beginners.

The discussion shifts to McEleney's early recognition of cloud computing's potential. After attending an AWS event around 2008, he became convinced that cloud technology would "totally change things completely," eventually leading him to co-found Onshape. Though the engineering community initially resisted cloud-based design, McEleney explains how security concerns have reversed – cloud systems can now instantly patch vulnerabilities across all users, while traditional installed software might take "years" to update everyone.

Looking toward the future, McEleney offers a nuanced view of AI's role in engineering design. Rather than AI systems that attempt to "design a car" from scratch, he envisions AI as a "river guide" helping engineers navigate complex design decisions by connecting unstructured data and revealing the ripple effects of changes. "I'm hugely optimistic about AI impacting and helping engineers," he explains, "not replacing them, but improving their reasoning and visibility."

Perhaps most fascinating is McEleney's insight into innovation itself. He shares how Onshape's revolutionary FeatureScript language emerged from a gut feeling about its potential power, even though the team couldn't fully articulate its applications at the time. This story highlights a crucial lesson: sometimes the most transformative innovations require faith in technology's possibilities before all use cases are clear.

Ready to explore how platform shifts create opportunities and how AI might transform engineering? Listen now and gain insights from one of CAD's most influential innovators.